The party at the penthouse at the Hilton hotel was breathtaking. The momant Liliana out of the elevator, she was instantly captivated by the grandeur of the scene before her. The ballroom was transformed into a magical wonderland, adorned with elegant white and gold decorations. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room with a soft, golden glow, casting a dreamlike ambiance over the gathering.
Liliana, dressed in a stunning deep red Dior dress that accentuated her natural beauty, felt a shiver of anticipation run down her spin. Her hair was intricately pulled up on the top of her head, revealing her slender neck and delicate features. Taking a deep breath, she lifed her head high and gracefully made her way though the crowd.
As she mingled amongest the other guests, Liliana held a glass of champagne that she had deftly acquired from a passing waiter. The bubles tickled her nose as she took a delicate sip, savoring the delicate flavors. The room was a symphony of laughter, fragrances, and the clinking of glasses, but Liliana´s eyes were on the lookout for one man in particular.
She gazed out of the floor-to-celling window, taking in the breathtaking view of the night sky. The stars twinkled like celestial diamonds, mirroring the sparkling diamond necklace adorning her neck.
"Liliana."
Liliana turned around to see the man she had been waiting for walking towards her, accompanied by a dark-haired stranger. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't quite place it.
"Maslow!" Liliana smiled at the older man. "It's good to see you again."
"It's always a pleasure to see you, my dear," Maslow replied, taking her hand gently in his. He then turned his attention to the dark-haired man beside him. "I would like to introduce you to my friend," he said, before turning back to Liliana. She smiled and reached her hand out towards the newcomer, but as soon as Maslow uttered the man's name, a surge of pain and anger she had kept locked inside for years resurfaced.
"Elijah Mikaelson." Liliana clenched her jaw, her hand frozen mid-air as Elijah took it into his own. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said with a calm and collected demeanor. Liliana tried to pull her hand away, but he held onto it firmly. "You can go now," he said to Maslow, his eyes still fixed on Liliana.
"No, wait!" Liliana protested, looking desperately at Maslow, who wore a sad expression before turning and walking away, leaving her alone with Elijah. She felt a mix of conflicting emotions swirling inside her as she faced him. "Let go," she demanded, trying to pull her hand away once more.
"We need to talk," Elijah insisted, his tone sincere.
"About what?" Liliana asked, her voice laced with bitterness.
"About Kol..." Elijah started, but Liliana interrupted him.
"Don't you dare say that bastard's name to me!" she hissed, pointing her finger at him. "He can rot in hell for all I care. Now, let me go!"
"I just want to..." Elijah attempted to reason, but Liliana's anger only intensified.
"She said, let go! Or do I have to make you?" A deep voice cut through the tension, and suddenly Liliana's son, Johnathan, stood beside her, staring Elijah down.
Elijah released Liliana's arm and took a step back, assessing the situation. "I just want to talk to Liliana. That's all."
"Yeah, well," Johnathan said with a defiant smile that confirmed, to Elijah's growing suspicion, the young man's relation to Kol. "She doesn't want to talk to you." He draped his arm protectively around Liliana's shoulder. "So, if you would excuse us, we..."
"Kol didn't leave you because he wanted to," Elijah declared somberly, his words landing like a bombshell.
"What?" Liliana gasped, her face scrunching up in shock. Johnathan glared at Elijah, his anger mounting.
"Why should we believe you?" Johnathan spat, taking a step closer to Elijah. However, Liliana's touch on his arm stopped him, and when he turned to her, tears glistened in her eyes. He looked back at Elijah, his frown deepening. "Who is he?" Johnathan asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
"Elijah Mikaelson... Johnathan, don't..." Liliana pleaded, but the pained look on Elijah's face sparked curiosity and softened Johnathan's defensiveness.
"Why should I?" Johnathan challenged, raising an eyebrow.
"Please," Liliana begged, her voice filled with a mixture of fear and hope.
"Fine," Johnathan relented, turning to Elijah, who looked back at him with a curious and confused expression. "What?"
"I think the three of us need to talk," Elijah suggested, pointing a finger at Liliana and Johnathan.
"Isn't that what we're doing?" Johnathan retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"Somewhere private," Elijah replied, an air of mystery and urgency hanging in his words.
Elijah sat on the couch with a glass of bourbon in his hand, staring at Johnathan, who was staring right back at him. Liliana leaned forward, also holding a glass, and broke the silence. "Are we going to talk? Or would the two of you rather keep on staring at each other?"
"Start talking," Johnathan said as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes locked onto Elijah's.
Elijah took a sip of his drink, then placed the glass on the coffee table. "Kol didn't leave you because he wanted to, and..."
"You already said that," Johnathan interjected with frustration.
"Johnathan, please," Liliana said, casting a pleading gaze at her son. She then turned her attention back to Elijah. "What do you mean when you said he didn't have a choice?"
"He didn't have a choice because our younger brother daggered him," Elijah answered with a tinge of sadness in his voice.
"He's dead?" Liliana asked, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"No," Elijah replied, shaking his head. "How much did Kol tell you about us?"
"He told me that you're the first of your kind and that the only thing that can kill you is a white oak stake. He told me that you burned down to the ground. So, how..."
"There is a dagger that was specially made for our kind, dipped in ash of the white oak tree," Elijah explained, cutting her off. "As for where he got it, that's something I can't answer."
Liliana observed Johnathan, noticing he was about to say something. Elijah seemed to anticipate it as well. "Now, before I answer any more of your questions, you are going to answer mine," Elijah said firmly.
"Okay," Liliana replied, her voice filled with weariness. She already knew what he wanted to know by the look on his face and the way he was staring at Johnathan.
"Is he..." Elijah pointed his finger directly at Johnathan.
"Yes," Liliana confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper.
"How?" Elijah inquired, his mind racing to understand the impossible.
"I don't know," Liliana confessed, empting her glass and reaching for the bottle on the coffee table. She poured herself another drink. "I talked to everyone I could find, and no one could give me an answer as to how it was possible for Johnathan to be conceived, considering Kol is a vampire."
Elijah's brows furrowed in confusion. He was at a loss for words, trying to comprehend the unimaginable. "Back to that," Elijah said, gesturing towards Johnathan. "He has powers. How is that possible if he's a vampire?"
"Because he's half vampire. Half witch," Liliana revealed, her words hanging heavily in the air.
"Kol was a witch before your parents turned you guys into vampires," Liliana softly spoke, breaking the veil of silence that enveloped them. Elijah's eyes darted up to meet hers, curiosity shining in them.
"But you can both be a vampire and a witch," he said, his voice laced with a mix of fascination and confusion.
Liliana let out a sigh, her fingers tracing the edges of the ring absentmindedly. "That's true," Liliana reluctantly admitted, her mind swirling with memories. "When I was giving birth to Jonathan, I almost died. A witch I met said that I was on the other side, but somehow I returned back to life. And a few years later, I noticed that I didn't age like other women my age did."
Elijah furrowed his brows, his interest piqued. "When I first saw you, I heard your heartbeat, so I know you are not a vampire. So what are you?"
Liliana shrugged, a mixture of frustration and curiosity etched onto her face. "If you find that out, you tell me," she replied, her eyes pleading for answers that had long eluded her. The truth of her existence had always remained a mystery, a puzzle waiting to be solved.
"Where is my dad?" Johnathan asked as he looked over at Elijah.
Elijah sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know," he replied. "Klaus has him hidden away alongside my other siblings."
Johnathan's eyes widened with disbelief. "No offense, but your brother is a..." he trailed off, searching for the right words.
Elijah understood the implication and nodded. "You can say it. He's a monster. Klaus has done terrible things, and I don't blame you for feeling that way."
Johnathan took the glass from his mom's hand and took a sip, the cold liquid refreshing his parched throat. As he did, he couldn't help but notice the curious look on Elijah's face. "What?" he asked, puzzled by Elijah´s reaction.
"How old are you?" Elijah questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"69," Johnathan replied nonchalantly, "but I will be 70 in a few months."
Elijah's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "But you look-"
"I died two days before I turned 20," Johnathan interrupted, his tone filled with an eerie calmness. "Speaking of dying, I need something to eat."
With that, he emptied the glass and placed it gently onto the coffee table. Leaning down, he planted a tender kiss on Liliana's forehead before turning his attention back to Elijah. "Uncle," he said, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
And just like that, he swiftly sped out of the room, leaving Elijah and Liliana alone inside the dimly lit apartment.
Stunned by Johnathan's revelation, Elijah turned to Liliana, his mind swirling with questions. "Died?" he finally managed to utter.
Liliana nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and understanding. "Johnathan's vampire side was awakened when he died because-"
"He's part vampire," Elijah finished, his voice barely a whisper.
"Yeah," Liliana confirmed softly, her gaze dropping to the floor.
"So, I guess that makes us family?" Elijah asked, a hint of hopefulness creeping into his voice.
Liliana's brows furrowed as she considered his words, weighing the significance of their connection. "It makes Johnathan family," she explained gently, "not me or you."
But Elijah wasn't convinced. He pointed his finger at the ring she wore on her finger, the ring that Kol had intended to give her before fate intervened. "Kol was going to marry you. I was there that night, he gave you that ring," he reminded her, his voice tinged with sadness and nostalgia. "It means that if Klaus hadn't daggered him, you would have been his wife. And that makes you both family in my eyes."
Johnathan stood inside an alley, the dim flickering streetlights casting eerie shadows on the cracked walls. His arms were wrapped possessively around a young woman, her delicate frame trembling with fear and desire. As he hungrily drank from her neck, a low moan escaped his lips, mingling with her soft gasps.
When he was sated, Johnathan gently compelled the woman to forget the encounter, her mind clouded with confusion. She stumbled away, dazed and disoriented, leaving Johnathan alone with his dark thoughts.
Feeding on humans had never been a regular habit for him, but tonight was different. It had been a night of chaos and desperation, one that left him craving the essence of life that only mortals could offer. He wiped the lingering blood from his lips, using the back of his hand, as he made his way out of the alley and onto the desolate street.
Suddenly, Johnathan froze in his tracks, his eyes narrowing with annoyance. Standing on the other side of the street was Elijah, a fellow immortal with a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "It's you," Johnathan muttered irritably.
Elijah chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "You missed a spot," he teased, pointing a slender finger to the corner of his own mouth. Johnathan's gaze followed the gesture, realizing with embarrassment that he still carried the evidence of his recent indulgence. He quickly wiped his mouth, trying to salvage some semblance of composure.
"What do you want?" Johnathan snapped, his patience wearing thin.
Elijah's expression turned serious as he stepped closer, the glow of the streetlights illuminating his chiseled features. "What do you say about helping me find your dad?"